Monday, July 15, 2013

What Does the Latest Health Reform Delay Mean?



You may have heard the news that there was a delay on Health Reform.  What does that mean? Will it effect eating disorders coverage? What parts of health reform do matter? 

As you likely know, there are several components to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also called ‘Health Reform.’ The EDC is working to insure the implementation of the ACA is the most beneficial to people with eating disorders, and providers treating eating disorders, but also to monitor the implementation so we can keep our members aware of current events and alert them to any concerns. 

Last week, the Treasury Department announced that it would delay enforcement of the employer mandate penalties and reporting requirements. The practical implication of this is pretty minimal as most employers subject to the mandate already offer insurance.  The mandate covers only employers with more than 50 full-time (or full-time-equivalent) employees.  It’s important to note that 98% of employers with more than 200 employees offer health insurance, as do 94% of employers with 50-100 employees[1].  The majority of employers currently offer insurance that is both affordable and adequate, (terms defined in the ACA) so it is unlikely this will have a huge practical impact.  

As mentioned in a previous blog post (click here) the primary focus of the Eating Disorders Coalition is the implementation of the state exchanges. In three months, we expect the first open enrollment period for the exchanges to begin. The EDC is working to educate our members, and to work in the states about any coverage changes expected by the ACA.

We will continue blogging on the aspects of the ACA that are applicable to eating disorders and keep you up to date.

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